"No problem. I'm free for the next three days."
Mr. Azik agreed without much hesitation, making Julian let out a long sigh of relief.
With an outside factor like 0-08 in play, Julian would never dare explore the Antigonus Family ruins near Tingen City on his own.
Even setting aside whatever dangers the site itself might hold, the two missing Secret Order members, a Sequence 7 and a Sequence 5, were far beyond his ability to handle.
So if Mr. Azik could help, nothing could be better.
"Then I'm sorry for the trouble."
He thanked him gratefully.
They agreed to meet at the gates of Khoy University at ten the next morning, then take a carriage to their destination together.
Afterward, they stood, shook hands again, and returned to their respective homes.
At around six the next morning, Julian was jolted awake by layers of illusory voices.
"Mr. Fool?"
Julian paused, then quickly realized what was happening and connected to the message sent from Above the Gray Fog.
Soon, he was overjoyed.
As he had expected, Mr. Hanged Man had used the money Miss Justice provided to buy him the framed glasses corresponding to the Beyonder characteristic of Warlock, Sequence 7 of the Mystery Pryer pathway. He had then sacrificed them to Mr. Fool, asking him to pass them on to Julian.
After thanking Mr. Fool, Julian successfully received a pair of ordinary-looking glasses with black metal frames.
Julian tried putting them on and immediately felt a wealth of information about spells appear in his mind, along with faint whispers carrying countless fragments of knowledge.
Just as he had expected, the moment he heard those voices, the buzzing of the Colour Out of Space emerged again, pushing back much of the sensation of knowledge being forced into him.
Looking at his thoroughly scholarly appearance in the mirror, Julian nodded in satisfaction.
"Come to think of it, Mr. Hanged Man didn't tell me what these glasses are called... I'll keep it simple and call them the Warlock Glasses."
After giving them a rather casual name, Julian began studying the glasses' additional functions.
"...Sure enough, just as Alger said, these glasses let me construct spells from knowledge I've already mastered, but they can only hold three different spells at most."
Back when Julian was still a Reader, he had studied a great deal of elemental theory and magical knowledge, but had never had any way to turn it into a means of attack.
Beyonders of this pathway lacked the means to turn knowledge into personalized spells until they became Sequence 5 Mysticism Mentors. Warlocks, by contrast, excelled at precisely that.
Combining his knowledge of optics with the spell-creation ability granted by the Warlock Glasses, Julian soon developed a new spell: Flash Spell.
This spell produced a dazzling glare by scattering powder made from certain specific materials. That glare could burn the eyes of low-sequence and even mid-sequence Beyonders, causing blindness and physical damage.
In dark surroundings, the spell's offensive effects could multiply. In other words, it was especially suited to fighting enemies in places like ruins.
"...I'm running out of time. This will have to do for now."
Julian glanced at his pocket watch. It was already almost nine.
Using the final hour, Julian took the various materials he had on hand and prepared the components needed for several common Warlock spells, then headed out and jogged toward the meeting place he and Mr. Azik had agreed upon.
"...Made it."
With three minutes left before ten, Julian finally reached the gates of Khoy University, where he found Mr. Azik already waiting.
After they exchanged morning greetings, Julian hailed a hired carriage and rode with Mr. Azik toward Tingen City's North Borough.
Once they left the city, the broad paved road gradually gave way to a bumpy country lane, and green trees grew increasingly thick on either side.
Cicadas chirped and bees buzzed all around them. Even inside the carriage, Julian could clearly tell they had entered the countryside.
"Gentlemen, the carriage can't go any farther up the road."
At that moment, the driver called out:
"There's about a kilometer of mountain trail left. If you don't mind, you'll have to walk... I can knock a little off the fare. After all, I didn't know the road would be like this before we set out."
"It's all right."
Julian shook his head, jumped down from the carriage, and took out his wallet. He paid the driver, who looked to be in his thirties, the fare they had agreed upon.
"Keep the extra as a tip. Buy your children something nice to eat."
"Thank you. You're truly a generous gentleman."
Although the driver had no idea how Julian had known he had children, he did not dwell on it and responded with gratitude written all over his face.
"How did you know he had children?"
Only after the driver had gone some distance away did Mr. Azik ask curiously.
"His clothes."
Julian shook his head.
"My Beyonder ability lets me see colors ordinary people can't detect. Although that gentleman had deliberately worn black, I could still see several traces of food and soup stains around his collar.
"Even if people from the lower classes don't use napkins when eating, adults generally wouldn't get stains there so often... So the only explanation is that he has young children, and those food stains were left while he was feeding them."
He made a grasping motion with his hand and explained earnestly:
"For example, little children might knock over their food and get sauce on their hands, then wipe it onto their parents while crying and being comforted... It's quite common."
"...I see. Julian, you really do have the traits of a Lenburgian."
As he listened to Julian's long, painstakingly earnest analysis, the corners of Mr. Azik's mouth suddenly lifted into a smile.
He said with heartfelt emotion:
"No one has ever told me about these things before... In fact, outside of work, very few people chat with me like this, as a friend. It makes me feel more alive.
"To be honest, getting to know you and Klein has been a special
"experience for me.
"If my past life was filled with pallor and forgetfulness, then the two of you have brought it a rare touch of color."
As soon as those words fell, Julian suddenly heard a crisp cracking sound from within himself.
Was that... the Four-Color Seer potion being fully digested?
Surprise immediately appeared in Julian's eyes as he realized what had happened!